Killer grizzly euthanized near West Yellowstone
Two grizzly bears in the Yellowstone Greater Ecosystem are no longer roaming the landscape after recent human encounters.
One was a 10-year-old female grizzly which killed a woman near West Yellowstone in July. The bear, which had a cub with it, was shot and killed by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officers and local law enforcement on Sept. 2 after breaking into a house near West Yellowstone.
Early on the morning of Sept. 2, a homeowner reported a bear with a cub broke through a kitchen window of an occupied home and removed a container of dog food from inside the house.
Later that evening, officers captured the cub, and, with authorization from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, shot the adult grizzly near the captured cub due to an immediate public safety threat from the bear’s food-conditioned behavior.
The grizzly was captured in 2017 for research purposes. Through genetic analysis and other identifying characteristics, staff confirmed the bear was involved in a fatal attack on a woman near West Yellowstone in July.
According to the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, the woman was identified as 48-year-old Amie Adamson of Derby, Kansas. At the time of her death, Adamson was hiking or running on the trail, which she often did in the early-morning hours.
The bear also attacked and injured a man near Henrys Lake State Park in Idaho in May 2020. Officials said both incidents were evaluated carefully at the time and deemed to be defensive responses by the bear. Multiple efforts to trap and remove the bear were made after the fatal attack in July due to the incident’s proximity to residences, campgrounds, and high-use OHV trails. These efforts were unsuccessful.
The cub, a 46-pound male, is being held at FWP’s wildlife rehabilitation center in Helena while arrangements are made to transfer the cub to a zoo in the coming weeks.
According to a press release from the Idaho Department of Fish & Game, in nearby Island Park, two archery hunters shot and killed a large adult male grizzly bear in self-defense on the evening of Sept. 1, while hunting for elk west of Island Park Reservoir.
The hunters were moving through thick brush when a large grizzly charged directly toward them from a short distance away. Both hunters were able to discharge their sidearms, killing the bear before it made contact with them. No injuries to the individuals involved were reported.
The hunters immediately called into the Fremont County dispatch to report the incident. Idaho Department of Fish and Game responded and conducted a thorough investigation. It was determined that the hunters acted in self-defense during a surprise encounter with the bear from a very close distance.
A bit south of Island Park, two grizzlies were euthanized on Aug. 31 by Idaho Fish and Game officials after they trapped two, 1 ½-year-old bears in the Squirrel area east of Ashton. The two bears, a male and a female, received many food rewards, consistently showed no fear of humans, and acted aggressively toward people.
Officials said the bears were food-conditioned and extremely habituated to humans, leading to multiple dangerous interactions with people and presenting a clear and ongoing threat to public safety.
Then, on Sept. 8, a deer hunter was attacked by a grizzly near Yellow Mule Trail, outside of Big Sky, according to the Gallatin County Sheriff'a Office.
Officers from various state and federal agencies responded and the man was taken to Bozeman Health Deaconess Regional Medical Center.
Officials say the hunter shot at the grizzly and likely wounded the bear. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and Forest Service staff are investigating the incident and are trying to locate the bear.
Grizzly bears are protected under state and federal law.